4.

"I think many of us were confused about why Mario decided to go to the Imperial capital. Was it a grudge against the then-princess? Or was it anger at His Majesty? The nobility of the time liked to gossip about why Mario left. But me? Well… I like to think I'm one of Mario's closest friends, so I never doubted him for a second. I was concerned, yes. But then… what friend wouldn't be concerned?"

Toad Kinopio, Captain of the Royal Guard, History Channel 1921

The heavenly hazelnut scent caused Peach to stir from her slumber with a groan. Blinking blearily, she sat upright and scanned her office. Almost immediately, her gaze fell on a young woman with powder blue hair and violet eyes holding two steaming cups of coffee in her hands. Peach felt her cheeks warm as she gave a grateful nod to the woman as the coffee cup was set down on the desk. Peach took the coffee and took a sip of the drink, savoring the hazelnut as the caffeine worked its heavenly magic. Peach set the cup down on her desk and leaned back as she attempted to muster the energy to return to her paperwork.

"Thank you, Tari." Peach smiled faintly. "I'm sorry, I can't seem to remember the last time I fell asleep at my desk." She yawned before looking at the clock, "How long was I out?"

"Oh… about a half hour." Tari replied cheerfully, "Forgive me, Your Highness, but you've been burning the candle at multiple ends. Maybe you should consider postponing your meetings today?"

Peach shook her head, "I can't do that," she frowned. "Too many projects need my attention…" She grumbled as she scrambled, looking for a folder. "Oh… where is it?"

Tari smiled faintly before presenting a manilla folder tucked under her arm, "All relevant details on TASCorp are here, Princess." She said, "I believe Mister Lucks is due to arrive this evening to try and convince you…"

"…That Gadd Science is hardly the only company that can assist us with the modernization of the infrastructure, armed forces, and implementation of hypercrete." Peach sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I wish they would understand that Professor Gadd is the only industrialist who sees more than his bottom line as important."

Tari sat across from the Princess and smoothed out her light blue suit. Tari looked uncomfortable, "I might be speaking out of turn—"

"Nonsense," Peach gently rebuked with a smile, "Tari, I hired you as my chief of staff because I explicitly wanted you to speak out of turn."

"Even so," Tari persisted. "The Senate wishes to support your initiatives. They have reservations about Gadd Science being the sole beneficiary of funding." She opened the folder and tapped to a highlighted item, "Professor Gadd's eccentricities have been noted by the Earl of Seabright, Lord Geddes, as his primary object of concern."

"A paintbrush that creates monsters?" Peach scoffed, and her eyes widened as she looked at another item, "Trying to achieve time travel?" She sat back in her seat and frowned, "Edwin should take advantage of Seabright's luxuries… clearly the man is overworking himself."

"Perhaps that is a fair assessment, Your Highness, but there's more…" Tari said frowning, "Other senators have served as the patrons of various industrialists, and they each want a slice of the pie. And then there's the reports from His Majesty's office too…"

Peach grimaced. The Senate debates had been long and frustrating, and her conversations with Toadsworth indicated that her father was displeased by the gridlock. Sighing, she leaned back in her chair. "And what would His Majesty want me to do? Govern by fiat?"

Tari shook her head. "No, ma'am. He wants results from you." She said quietly. "He wants you to negotiate with the other senators."

The Princess closed her eyes and sighed softly. Her father hadn't been an active monarch in his later life, perhaps due to him pushing Peach out to be the face of the monarchy itself. But as Prime Minister, he was expecting her to govern. She had often wondered what the meetings with the heads of government had been like, and in the time she had served as Prime Minister, he had been firm with her, and it lacked any sense of familial warmth. She stood up and strolled over to the window, holding her cup of coffee. Sipping on it, Peach exhaled slowly.

"I may not like this idea, but my father can dismiss me if he wishes…" She murmured. "Alright, so who is Mister Lucks' patron?"

"Derek Luck of the Tactical Advanced Solutions Corporation, or TASCorp, is the beneficiary of Lord Geddes," Tari explained. "They specialize in medical care for military veterans as well as computers and prosthetics."

Peach's eyes flicked briefly to Tari's left hand – Tari's artificial left hand. Stepping back to her desk, Peach set the cup down before sitting back down and interlocking her fingers, "Your arm came from TASCorp, right?"

Her chief of staff merely raised her left arm and flexed the mechanical fingers with a sad smile, "Yes, ma'am. My mother, and I were in a terrible accident when I was a child," she said, clearly lost in memory, "My mother didn't make it, and I lost my arm. My father, James Sheridan, worked for TASCorp at the time, and he was able to get me a prosthetic." Tari sighed softly, "Believe me… prosthetics have come a long way since then, and back then, I had to endure a lot of physical therapy just to get used to it."

Peach winced. "Given the technology we've been able to develop from the Smithy Gang's machines even before I became Prime Minister…"

"We could potentially make prosthetics nearly the same as flesh and blood limbs." Tari smiled faintly, "My arm's a military-grade prosthetic, and it's good for many things, but I just can't feel with it."

Peach hummed thoughtfully, "Let's do this then; we'll divert funding to TASCorp and pressure Mister Lucks to focus on developing his prosthetics. I know Lord Mycroft is pretty vocal about support for our veterans, so we could potentially smooth that wrinkle out."

Tari jotted that down on her notepad before turning to her clipboard, "Unfortunately… that's just one vote we can bring to our side. We still need more." She flipped through her notes, "We still have Baron Noah Mycroft of Loyce, Countess Lydia Carmine of Selwys, and Baron Oliver Kiramman of Duskhaven."

What did Oliver have to gain by opposing her program? Peach shelved that thought for the immediate moment, "We'll start small; maybe I'll see if I can get Lord Graemon to chat with Lord Mycroft." She murmured, "Lord Mycroft did assist us in getting the Banking Act passed. And I distinctly remember it being one of the few times Lord Graemon and I disagreed with another…"

The corners of Tari's mouth twitched, "As I recall, he wanted to nationalize the banks outright." She set down her pen and hummed thoughtfully, "If I may, are you certain it's wise to rely on Lord Graemon as much as we have been?"

Arching an eyebrow, Peach sipped at the last dregs of her coffee. Where was this coming from? She set down her empty cup and looked at Tari, "Have you heard something that I should be aware of?"

Tari shook her head, "It's nothing like that, ma'am. I'm just concerned. For all his talk about being able to influence the Senate, it seems that whenever you two disagree on certain matters, those pieces of legislation seem to struggle to pass. In contrast, those he supports wholeheartedly seem to pass without issue."

"The exception, of course, is this bill." Peach pointed out. Nevertheless, Tari had a point, "I know there have been certain senators who've opposed him on sheer principle…"

"I might just be seeing things that aren't really there, though," Tari shrugged. "And I've admittedly never been his biggest fan."

Peach snorted in amusement, "You and the Mario Brothers would get along famously on that point."

The blue-haired assistant only slightly grinned at that before returning to her notes, "Additionally, you only really need to convince Lady Carmine or Lord Kiramman to lend their support to you if you can get Lord Mycroft and Lord Geddes to back it." She frowned thoughtfully, "If I had to guess, Lady Carmine would oppose you simply because she essentially wants the Carmine Consortium to have the largest piece of the pie."

"And what about Oliv—Lord Kiramman?" Peach corrected herself midsentence.

Tari raised her eyebrows slightly, and a faint smirk appeared. Mercifully, she ignored the slip, "Lord Kiramman's opposition is strictly based on Lord Graemon himself." She explained, "I believe it was tied to the death of Lord Kiramman's brother, Alexander."

Peach's eyebrows shot up at that. Now, that was something she wasn't aware of; Oliver hadn't mentioned that. "Interesting…" She murmured. Peach sighed, "I don't really like this…" She pursed her lips and tapped the arm of her chair, "Very well… I need you to get me the relevant information on Lady Carmine and any further information you have on Mister Lucks."

"Right away, Your Highness." Tari nodded.

The Princess raised a finger, "One additional thing." She interjected, "I need you to arrange a private meeting with Renard Cox within the next few days."

If such a request put off Tari, she didn't show it. Tari only nodded and stood up, gathering her papers. Peach watched as Tari walked out of the office, and once the door shut, she allowed herself a scowl. Compromising was not what she wanted. Unfortunately, getting Oliver to align with Lord Graemon wouldn't be possible if Tari's statement were true. Massaging her forehead, Peach sighed, thinking about the situation with Gadd Science bothered her immensely. Elvin Gadd was a household name throughout the Mushroom Kingdom.

Looking at her clock, she sighed. Meeting with Lucks was still some time away. Getting to her feet, Peach walked out of her office, her coat trailing behind her. Legislative victories in reforming the banking sector had been one of her proudest moments, but this…? This would help improve the Mushroom Kingdom beyond even her future reign as Queen. The clicks of her boots beat out a steady rhythm as she approached a large oak door. Rapping her knuckles against the door, Peach only took a deep breath. She was really not looking forward to this…

"Your Highness…!" Lord Graemon exclaimed as he opened the door, "What can I do for you?"

Peach offered a small smile as Graemon stepped aside. Entering the office, she scanned the room, noting the lavish decorations. Evidently, Graemon had a taste for displaying his wealth. A painting of a serpent, however, was what drew her attention. She arched an eyebrow, noting that the serpent's scales shimmered like stars in the night sky; the colors reminded her of a nebula she had once seen in an astronomer's book.

She shook herself from her musings and turned to Lord Graemon. The surprise on his face had faded, and Graemon seemed to have regained his composure, "Ah yes… I was hoping to borrow a moment of your time. I want to discuss how we can get the votes in the Senate."

Graemon's eyes narrowed slightly as he approached a shelf and retrieved a bottle of amber liquid. He then turned to face her. "Would you care for a drink, Highness?" he asked with a faint smile.

"Tempting though it is, I'm afraid I've got a meeting with a representative from TASCorp later on this evening. I'm afraid it would make a poor impression if I smelled like a distillery." Peach smiled faintly. "I feel like we've hit a brick wall with the Senators. I feel we need four votes to get our initiative to pass."

Graemon nodded before sipping his drink and stepping over to his desk. The Duke sighed, "I'm afraid there is more to this." He grumbled, "Because of the gridlock, we risk many of the senators who had initially supported our bill will withdraw support."

Peach narrowed her eyes, "Why?"

"They don't wish to tie their names to doomed legislation." Graemon sighed with a flippant gesture, "I'm sorry, Your Highness… I can't help but feel I've failed you."

Peach shook her head firmly, "No, my lord." She spoke. "This is just a setback. One that I hope to reverse. Peach felt a smile spread across her face, "So… tell me, what do you think about opening up talks with the other senators to see what we can give them with this bill? I hope to get more than just the other four votes."

Graemon's jaw dropped as he stared at her wide-eyed, "Are you sure, Highness?" He asked, "This isn't in line with what we both outlined."

She gave a sad smile, "I know, but… certain elements have made it clear that we need to think about more than just what I want." she admitted. "Lord Geddes is one such person I want to persuade certainly, but…"

He sighed, "You want to build a stronger coalition?" he asked with a frown. "Very well… I could reach out, but… do you feel more comfortable working with Lady Carmine than we already have?"

Peach bit back a frown of her own. How influential was Lady Carmine? She sighed and sat in a chair across from him, "Why would it be Lady Carmine? Why not Lord Mycroft or Lord Kiramman?"

Graemon chuckled softly, "Lord Mycroft will simply be happy with increased veteran care, something I assume we could work with Lord Geddes and TASCorp. But… Lord Kiramman? The Baron of Duskhaven is determined to oppose me no matter what. The Kiramman Family blames me for the death of Alexander Kiramman."

She couldn't hide her frown now. Peach crossed one leg over the other and interlocked her fingers, "So… it's true?" She asked. "You killed Lord Jeremiah's son?"

The Duke of Ironpointe's eyes widened, and for the first time, Peach could tell she had genuinely offended him. The Duke looked almost like a viper coiling for a strike. Graemon closed his eyes and exhaled softly, "…No." He ground out. "Or rather… I didn't kill him. I made a miscalculation when I financed the Scapelli Construction company."

Peach tilted her head in confusion. She had seen that in the news, yet it hadn't seemed important then. How deep were Lord Graemon's ties to the Scapelli Construction company? She shifted uncomfortably, "I seem to be missing a step here; how does your patronage place you at the altar of blame for the Kirammans?"

Graemon gave a bitter snort, "If only for the fact, Highness, that to Lord Jeremiah, my money just as good as killed Alexander as Scapelli's faulty equipment." He scowled at a distant memory, "For a father to lose his son is bad enough, but Lord Jermiah's son was crushed beneath a stone. You'll forgive me, Princess, if I wish to keep the finer details to myself." He said apologetically, "The details are gory enough in black and white. Suffice to say… Lord Jeremiah never saw fit to trust me again, nor does Lord Oliver."

Peach smiled tightly. People still treated her as if she were some delicate flower. She may not have been as mired in the grim realities of the world as the Mario Brothers, but she was no stranger to death and destruction, especially after the Smithy attack. Nevertheless, it seemed in poor taste for her to point this fact out to the Duke of Ironpointe. Instead, Peach's smile turned gentler, "I understand, my lord. Placing trust in the wrong people has a way of haunting us all."

"In part, that is why I've supported your New Society, Your Highness." Graemon admitted as he brushed his thumb over the rim of his glass, "A selfish part, admittedly, but a part all the same. I've long since desired to atone for my mistakes. Naturally, that desire is superseded by my love of the Mushroom Kingdom."

"Naturally." Peach agreed. She tilted her head and frowned slightly, "If it helps, I'm no stranger to having my trust taken advantage of."

The Duke arched an eyebrow as he raised his glass to his lips. He paused momentarily before setting down the glass and looking at her intently, "You don't—"

The Princess raised her hand to cut him off, "You'll recall Prince Haru of the Flower Kingdom?" She asked with a faint grimace, "The man was a charmer, knew all the right words to say, and I was charmed by him. Well…" She shrugged, the epaulets on her coat emphasizing the gesture, "Not just me; my father and Mario alike were all charmed by him. He had approached my father with the idea of marrying me, and it was a match that would've been ideal for both kingdoms and, more importantly, a match I desperately wanted. Stars above… I was so silly back then…"

Graemon interlocked his fingers, "Why didn't it go through? On paper, the match would have worked well for both kingdoms. So…"

"…What happened?" Peach sneered. "Well… his older brother, Prince Florian, was thought to have been dead when my father and I traveled to the Flower Kingdom. Mario was with us and had been talking with several of the Poplins there. Mario had discovered that Prince Florian was held captive in the Fungi Mines. You can imagine the shock on their father's face when not only did Prince Florian return to the capital but also named Haru as the one who engineered Florian's kidnapping."

Graemon scowled as he processed what she had said, "I see…" He hummed thoughtfully, "But…"

"Why tell you this?" She asked with a smile. "Simple. Though our circumstances are vastly different, as are the consequences, the point is that you shouldn't let the actions of one dishonest person weigh so heavily on you. I imagine you've been careful with various industrialists since that disaster?"

The Duke nodded, "Yes. Since then, I've followed up with the Bureau to ensure nothing was amiss…" He paused and then drew out a notepad and grabbed a pen. "To return to our earlier topic, you said you planned to bring Lord Geddes and Lord Mycroft to the table?"

Peach smiled faintly, grateful to be back on track, "Yes. Lord Mycroft wishes for Loyce to receive additional support for veteran care. An easy enough task." She explained, "Lord Geddes wishes for TASCorp to receive more recognition in the defense sector. Let's offer them both this: TASCorp will receive additional funding for prosthetics, enabling them to work to improve existing models for amputees and veterans. We will give TASCorp the funds necessary to open additional offices in Loyce, which will also bring Lord Mycroft's constituents jobs."

Graemon scribbled his notes with a pen flourish, "That's two senators down… we still have to bring either Lady Carmine or Lord Kiramman to the table."

Peach grimaced as she considered her options. Getting Oliver to assist her wouldn't have been the most challenging task, but Lady Carmine had the more influential voting bloc in the House of Lords—a gamble versus a guarantee. Peach rubbed at her temples and sighed, "Do you know what Lady Carmine is asking for specifically?"

The Duke sighed, "What anyone else of her voting bloc wants, modernizing our military." He frowned. "Lady Carmine is the patron of her brother's corporation, the Carmine Consortium. Since they have been contracted to help build the Mushroom Kingdom's air fleet, her demands are specifically towards allowing for the construction of new heavy cruisers and dreadnoughts."

Peach shook her head, "It sounds as if she wants the Air Corps to resemble the Imperial Navy in all but name."

"It's not the worst idea admittedly." Graemon shrugged, "I've cautioned Her Excellency on this, though, as constructing such vessels would spark an arms race with the Empire."

"And potential arms races with Sarasaland, the Flower Kingdom, and the Beanbean Kingdom, to name others." Peach pointed out. She hummed thoughtfully, "You asked about my comfort level in working with Lady Carmine, and truthfully, I'm not happy about it. But… as the Prime Minister, I have to act within the Mushroom Kingdom's best interests." Peach pursed her lips, "I've begun to realize that my premiership will be compromising and doing things I don't necessarily agree with. If you can get me an outline of Lady Carmine's requests, I will happily review them."

The Duke nodded, "Though, I should caution that she will request far more than you might be willing to grant…"

Peach only shook her head, "Tell her to list everything, but remind her that we are not the Empire." She frowned. "I'll not turn my father's country into another Koopa Empire."

Graemon's face darkened again, "Certainly, we don't wish to act like those… beasts…" He agreed darkly.

She was imminently thankful that she had the courtly training to mask her disapproval, and she also had to be grateful that no one could read spines as Peach's spine had become rigid. Peach had heard that type of rhetoric all her life. Her father had often characterized Imperial citizens as little more than mindless beasts, and even defectors from the Empire weren't above suspicion in his eyes. Monstro Town, Goomba Village, Koopa Village, and Petalburg all served as havens for Imperial citizens and, sadly, were all treated with scorn by the rest of the Mushroom Kingdom. Counting backward from ten, Peach did not wish to spoil their legislation's progress by hashing out such horrendous mischaracterizations.

Peach cast her eyes around the office before again looking at the mesmerizing serpent painting, "I must ask, Lord Graemon…" She began and stood up. Walking over to the painting, she stared at the kaleidoscope of colors, "What is this painting's story?"

"The Ophicius. Vincent van Gore painted it in his early life." Graemon said as he strode around his desk and stopped beside her. "Van Gore's early works often spoke of strange myths. The Seven themselves created the Ophicius." He said dreamily, "According to legend, it possesses unparalleled knowledge and wisdom as it has spent eternity gathering the stars' essence. Owning a single scale from its coils would give the holder wisdom beyond our wildest dreams."

Peach nodded and looked at the serpent with new eyes, "Remarkable…" She murmured, "But… I must ask, do you believe there is any truth to the stories?"

Graemon shrugged, "Honestly? I'm not sure." He glanced in her direction, "I keep it purely for the topic of conversation."

She snorted in amusement, "And that's something I've helped prove." She smiled faintly, "But I've heard some stories saying that the Ophicius is an evil omen. Some have even said it represents a grand conspiracy involving an organization called Starfall."

The Duke echoed her own snort and shook his head, "I've heard such rumors." He said, "In my experience, most conspiracy theories are just the creations of overly imaginative minds with far too little time on their hands." He then gestured to the painting, "In truth? I don't believe such a creature ever existed. Nevertheless, the stories provide a good lesson for any aspiring leader."

"Any what wisdom would that be, Lord Graemon?" Peach asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Wisdom," Graemon stated. "I am the Duke of Ironpointe; my duties to my constituents are paramount. You, Highness, are an anomaly for the Senate. Since the reign of King Euhorn and the premiership of Princess Valessa, the monarchy has remained separate from the political sphere."

"Surely you aren't comparing me to Valessa, who only reigned a total of a day before her death?" Peach turned to face him.

"Not at all, Your Highness." He replied, shaking his head. "I think you have the opportunity to warm the Senate to the monarchy once more, being more actively involved in running the kingdom. All that remains to be seen is what kind of tenure your premiership holds and, of course, your future reign. You have done superbly on the former in the six months you have served."

Peach pressed her lips together. That drink really did sound good right about now. But no… she had other things to worry about right now. She let out a soft, weary sigh before she presented her hand to the Duke, "I'm afraid, my lord, that I've taken up far too much of your time." She said as he shook her hand, "Please meet with Lady Carmine and have her compile a list of her demands. Once that's done, if you can leave them with Tari, we can move forward with the defense budget."

Graemon nodded and smiled, "Of course, Your Highness."

Peach left out of the room with a headache starting to form. Graemon spoke the right words and said the right things. But… did that make him an ally? Certainly, he wasn't a friend. They were colleagues, but something about their interaction made her think of Tari's words. Except for this current bill, any legislation she and the Duke disagreed on was difficult to pass in the Senate. And even still, Lord Graemon never presented himself as an obstacle. What did this mean?"

"Your Highness!" A voice called out urgently.

Turning, Peach was surprised to see a woman in a red suit and a worried expression on her face. Next to the woman was someone that Peach hadn't expected, "Your Majesty!" She acknowledged while bowing her head.

King Russet nodded gravely, "Prime Minister." He greeted in turn.

Once more thankful for her upbringing, Peach hid her wince. Yes, her father had to be the aloof royal figure in public. Peach straightened her posture and looked at the King. His face seemed as troubled as the woman's face was worried. The woman bowed at the waist, "Forgive me, Your Highness. My name is Pauline Verducci; I'm the mayor of New Donk City."

Peach smiled and nodded, "Welcome to Portobello, Madame Mayor. How might I be of assistance?" She asked.

Russet's face darkened, "Not here." He said in a low growl. "We will need to go to your office. This is not a matter to be discussed openly…"

Note from the Author:

Surprisingly, this one was the most fun to revise. Initially, when I brought in Derek Lucks' corporation, I wanted to name it something different to reflect the name of a company that would be sought after for military defense contracts. However, someone pointed out the potential names for the TASCorp company from Meta Runner that would allow me to keep Glitchy Productions' original company name but refitted for my purposes. Tari might seem a bit more confident than she does in Meta Runner's canon, but this is easily explained due to two things: The first is that Tari isn't on the run from a corporation that wants her unique abilities, and the second is that Tari's under the tutelage of a superior who values her abilities.

Ever since watching The Crown on Netflix, I like to imagine Claire Foy's portrayal of Queen Elizabeth as the source of inspiration for Princess Peach's character here. But really, I have to point to Alex Jennings' portrayal of the Duke of Windsor as my source of inspiration for Lord Graemon's character. Not so much the Duke of Windsor's sneering at his relatives, but rather the more understated moments like his advice to the Queen in the episode "Gloriana" because you get a good sense of what he truly feels at having abdicated the throne.